Politics no longer as usual: a message from Rick Perry’s exit

To be a governor in Texas is almost equivalent to being to being a president of a small country, as many Americans believe that you can be American, but it is totally different to be Texan. Texas has a history of hinting about succession, and if they did, would be a competitive oil producer and have an impressive economy. So, as Governor Rick Perry decided he would run for president, many people thought that he might have a shot. To be governor of Texas is a well known accomplishment, and he served longer than the usual eight years. Furthermore, he went up against President Obama during the humanitarian crisis last summer, where hundreds of undocumented children were flooding into the state by calling Texas’ own National Guard. Perry hired the best campaign videographers and producers, and had a website that could not help but leave you inspired.

With this context, what went wrong? For many of the candidates right now, it is all about timing. Eight years ago, the GOP could not find one strong candidate to go up against Barack Obama (McCain just did not have the same charisma), but in this election, there are so many eligible candidates that many voices had no chance of being heard. Furthermore, no one expected the Trump effect, and the political waves he started by jumping into the Republican pool.

As Perry gave up his long time governor role, he is instead the first person to drop out of the race. This illustrates the desire for new blood in politics. Trump and Carson, who lead the poll, are examples of this. This race is all about politics as not usual, as people who have had no experience, and about people who can bring fresh energy into the White House. This is truly a remarkable aspect of this upcoming primary, as normally, it is thought that you need to work your way up the political ladder to have any chance at all of having any credibility to sit in the Oval Office. Now, we have a new electorate, that wants to disrupt the status quo, as they see it as no longer working.

If you look at private sector companies, the same trend is occurring. People (including myself) have ditched the usual office job, and are starting new companies, starting new initiatives, creating blogs, etc. As we live in such a fast world, where things are constantly changing, new trends are emerging, and people want new ideas and new prospects, it is no surprise that the same context is applied to politics. Four years ago, Trump and Carson may have had a hard time charging into the arena and proving their political stature. Instead, there is almost a revolution of the system, where people want change that they can actually see, and not just on a campaign sign. One way to ensure this is to elect a non politician to the White House, and the polls are proof of American’s desire for uprooting the status quo, and changing the entry level for politicians.